Shloka 185
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
लांगूलेन वृषो यच्च जलं चोत्क्षिपति ध्रुवं । तत्तोयं तु सहस्राब्दं पितॄणाममृतं भवेत्
lāṃgūlena vṛṣo yacca jalaṃ cotkṣipati dhruvaṃ | tattoyaṃ tu sahasrābdaṃ pitṝṇāmamṛtaṃ bhavet
牡牛がその尾で確かに跳ね上げて散らす水は、まさにその水こそが、祖霊ピトリたちのために千年のあいだ甘露（アムリタ）となる。
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यच्च = यत् + च; चोत्क्षिपति = च + उत्क्षिपति; तत्तोयं = तत् + तोयम्; पितॄणाममृतं = पितॄणाम् + अमृतम्.
FAQs
It teaches that even seemingly small, incidental acts connected with auspicious beings (here, a bull) can be ritually potent—so potent that the resulting water is said to function as “nectar” for the pitṛs for an extended, hyperbolic period (a thousand years), emphasizing reverence for ancestors and the efficacy of dharmic conditions.
The verse reads literally (a bull splashing water with its tail), but Purāṇic style often uses concrete images to convey ritual auspiciousness and merit. Without nearby context, it can be read as praising the sanctity of certain circumstances/agents associated with dharma and ancestral rites.
It underscores attentiveness to dharmic conduct and ritual purity: small details and respectful environments are presented as carrying spiritual consequence, particularly regarding duties to one’s ancestors (pitṛ-ṛṇa) and the importance of acts that support śrāddha/tarpaṇa ideals.